Separating end connection



April 16, 1968 A. E. CARLILE ET AL 3,377,668

SEPARATING END CONNECTION Filed Dec. 21, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS a 4 AAFAEO 2 04/91/15 I .1? BY Haney MANN/N6 April 6, 1968 A. E. CARLILE ET AL 3,377,668

SEPARATING END CONNECTION Filed Dec. 21, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 @HM at AA JLN INVENTORS AM FRED E C4191 L 5 April 6, 1968 A; E, CARLILE ET AL 3,377,668

SEPARATING END CONNECTION Filed Dec. 21, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS 14L F250 5 04/911 ME Y HA/Q/PV E M/W/W/VG April 1968 A. E. CARLILE ET AL 3,377,668

SEPARATING END CONNECTION Tiqfi.

6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 21, 1964 INVENTORS ALF/QED E HHRAV f Tic ll.

April 1958 A. E. CARLILE ET AL 3,377,668

' SEPARATING END CONNECTION Filed Dec. 21, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. ALF/P50 E. C/MZ/LE April 1968 A. E. CARLILE ET AL 3,377,668

SEPARATING END CONNECTION Filed Dec. 21, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet e INVENTORS Alf/FED E CAPA ME BY HAP/P7 f. MA/V/V/A/ United States Patent 3,377,668 SEPARATING END CONNECTION Alfred E. Carlile and Harry F. Manning, Meadville, Pa., assignors to Talon, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 419,885

7 Claims. (Cl. 24-20511) This invention relates to slide fasteners, and more particularly to an improved separating end connection therefor and method of making the same.

Slide fasteners manufactued in the conventional mannerner comprise a pair of continuous stringer tapes having a series of spaced apart interlocking fastener elements attached to their opposed beaded edges with the opposed elements of the respective fastener elements interengaged. The fastener elements are arranged in groups along the stringer tapes so as to provide a gap between each group such that slide fastener chain manufactured in this manner is called gap chain. Each group of fastener elements designates the length of fastener desired.

Generally, in manufacturing a separating end type of fastener, various operations are first performed on the gap chain, suchas applying sliders to the chain, after which the chain is cut apart at the gap space so as to provide individual fasteners.

The tape ends of the individual fastener are then stitched along their severed edge to prevent the threads from unraveling; and, if a reenforced tape end is desired, the tape areas adjacent these edges can be suitably cross stitched to provide a reenforced tape end. The length of slide fastener is then separated and a separating end connection is then secured to one end of the fastener with the retainer on that tape of the fastener upon which the slider is mounted. Suitable end stops are secured to the opposite end of the fastener. A fastener manufactured in this fashion is used in jackets and the like wherein the fastener is opened and the two stringers are completely separated from each other to ease the removal of the garment. It is to an improved separating end connection and reenforced tape end and to a method of manufacturing the same from gap chain that the present invention is directed.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a separating end connection for a slide fastener which can be applied to the stringer tapes while in continuous chain form.

Another object of this invention is to provide end connections for a separating type slide fastener having reenforced tape ends formed integrally therewith.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved method of making combined reenforced tape ends and their respective elements for a separating end connection, which elements can be applied to both stringer tapes simultaneously and positioned accurately along the respective beaded edges of the stringer tapes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a separating end connection for a slide fastener in which the pin and retainer members on their respective stringer tapes will be positively locked during the normal operation of the slider.

Still another object of this invention is to provide improved reenforcing tape ends and separating end connection made of thermoplastic which can be conveniently and inexpensively fabricated and applied to the stringer tapes while in chain form and before they are cut apart from one another.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for the manufacture of the separating end connection for a slide fastener in which a separable mold is capable of molding the pin member and the retainer member directly on the opposed edges of a pair of stringer tapes in a single operation.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention can be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a finished slide fastener showing the completed separating end connection assembled thereon;

FIG. 2 is a bottom end view of the separating end connection shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the separating end connection shown in FIG. 1 with the connection in the separated condition;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the separated end connection shown in FIG. 3 and taken along the line 4-4 thereof;

FIGS. 5a to 5e are plan views of fragments of a length of slide fastener chain showing the sequence of steps of attaching a separating end connection to the stringer tapes;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the retainer of the separating end connection;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the pin of the separating end connection which portion cooperates with the retainer portion shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged end view of the mold for forming the reenforced tape ends, and separating end connection of the slide fastener;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the tape stop core used in the mold of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of the retainer core used in the mold of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a greatly enlarged side view of the tip of the retainer core shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of the enlarged tip shown in FIG. 11 and taken along the line 12-12 thereof;

FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view of the mold shown in FIG. 8 and taken along the line 1313 thereof; and

FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view of the mold shown in FIG. 8 and taken along the line 14-14 thereof.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 5a to 5c of the drawings, there is shown a fragmentary length of slide fastener chain of the continuous filament type which is generally supplied to the operator for attaching slide fasener stops and sliders thereto. Each length of slide fastener chain consists of a pair of continuous length stringer tapes and 22, each having a continuous length of coiled filament 24 secured to their opposed edges by stitching forming beaded edges 26 and 28, respectively. The convolutions of coiled filament 24 provide a. continuous series of spaced-apart interlocking fastener elements 30 attached to the opposed edges of tapes 20 and 22. At predetermined intervals, a short length of coiled filament 24 is removed from along each of the opposed edges to provide a gap space G between groups of fastener elements. The step of removing this short length of coiled filament is well known in the art and is generally referred to as the gapping operation with the slide fastener chain resulting therefrom being known as gapped chain.

To make individual slide fasteners of the desired length incorporating the reenforcing tape ends and separating end connection of the present invention, the gapped chain is moved to a first station as shown in FIG. 5b wherein at one end of the gap space G a substantially square shaped scrap portion is removed from each of the tapes and 22 to define a substantially square shaped opening 31 located in tapes 20 and 22 adjacent to beaded edges 26 and 28, respectively. Beaded edges 26 and 28, as shown in FIG. 5b can also be removed on one side of openings 31, if desired. This operation is generally known as clicking and can be performed on the tape simultaneously with the gapping operation. As will be more fully amplified hereinbelow, the step of clicking is a preferred step and not an essential step in the manufacture described hereinbelow.

Next, a slider 32 is assembled to the continuous filament slide fastener chain at that end of the gap space G opposite from that end which contains openings 31, after which slider 32 can engage and disengage the fastener elements in a well known manner. Suitable end stops 33 are applied to the stitched edges of tapes 20 and 22 to prevent slider 32 from being moved into the gap space G and becoming disengaged from the tapes and thus inoperative. End stops 33 will become the top stops of the finished separating end connected slide fastener of the coiled filament type.

The gapped slide fastener chain is moved to the next station wherein the slide fastener chain adjacent the gapped space is separated and retainer 34, which includes track extension 36 and track guide 38, and pin member 40, which includes pin guide 41, are simultaneously formed on the opposed stitched edges of tapes 20 and 22, respectively. In this step, the separated tapes 20 and 22 are properly positioned within a separable injection mold, as shown in FIGS. 8 through 14, and which will be described in greater detail hereinbelow, such that openings 31 adjacent stitched edges 26 and 23 of tapes 20 and 22, respectively, are properly positioned therein to accept a quantity of thermoplastic material which will form the reenforced tape ends and separating end connection of the present invention. The thermoplastic material is thermally compatible with the continuous filament type of chain. The mold is then closed about tapes 20 and 22 such that the facing surfaces of the mold, which are suitably contoured, will form a cavity therein for permitting thermoplastic material in a fluid state to flow through given passageways and about both sides of tapes 20 and 22 to form retainer 34, pin member 40 and reenforced tape ends 42 and 44. Because it is necessary to form given longitudinal grooves and openings in the retainer, a pair of cores 70 and 72, as shown in FIGS. 9 through 12, are then moved into operable positioin relative to each other within the mold, after which fluid thermoplastic material is injected therein. Once the elements of the separating end slide fastener are formed, the cores 70 and 72 are then laterally displaced relative to each other and moved to their inoperative position to clear the retainer and the mold is opened. A sprue 46 and scrap portion 48 of the thermoplastic material, tainer 34, then joins together the opposed tapes. This which is located intermediate pin member 40 and reassembly is moved to the next station wherein the scrap portion 43 including sprue 46 is then cut away from pin member 40 and retainer 34 and the slide fastener is severed from the continuous chain by cutting along the edge of the reenforced end members 42 and 44 resulting in a separating end slide fastener, as shown in FIG. 52. Pin member 40 can then be inserted into retainer 34 and because of the well known self-heating qualities of a coiled filament fastener type of slide fastener, slider 32 can be moved to its bottomrnost position and then to its topmost position to interengage fastener elements 30.

If the slide fastener is of the metal chain type, the same process for forming a thermoplastic separating end slide fastener can be performed, except that the steps of the manufacture are of a different sequence in that two tapes of the metal chain are separated after the pin and retainer members are formed on the tapes and then a slider is mounted on the tape carrying the retainer 34. End stops 33 are then applied to each of the tapes before pin member 40 is inserted through the channel of slider 32 into retainer 34.

The mold for simultaneously forming retainer 34 and pin member 40 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 8 through 14. The suitably contoured facing surface of the lower and upper molds 5t} and 52 are shown in detail in FIGS. 13 and 14, respectively, wherein the facing surfaces of the molds are suitably contoured so that when they are placed together, fluid thermoplastic material can be injected into the cavity formed therebetween. Lower mold is supported on the base of a molding press (not shown) and contains a pair of spacedapart cavities 53 and 54 formed in the surface thereof which will shape the fluid thermoplastic materialinto the outside configuration of one half of the reenforced ends 42 and 44, retainer 34 and pin member 40. The cavities for the formation of pin member 40 and retainer 34 each communicatewith centrally disposed runners 55 and 56 therein which in turn communicates with the sprue hole 57 formed in upper mold 52 and partially extending into lower mold 50. When the separated stringer tapes 20 and 2 are positioned on lower mold 50, a pair of pins 58 located in pin member cavity 54 and a pin 59 located in the track extension portion of the retainer cavity 53 will engage the stitched edge of their respective tapes 20 and 22. In upper mold 52, a cooperating pair of pins 60 in the pin member cavity 62 and a cooperating pin 64 in the retainer member cavity 66 will engage the beaded edges 26 and 28 of stringer tapes 20 and 22 to support each tape in a position intermediate the contoured facing surfaces of molds 50 and 52 so that thermoplastic material injected into the mold will flow about both surfaces of tapes 20 and 22. If beaded edges 26 and 28 have previously been removed on one side of openings 31, then solid thermoplastic retainer 34 and pin member 40 will be formed on tapes 20 and 22, respectively, substantially in alignment with the fastener elements located thereon.

Lower mold 59 also includes a movable tape slot core 70 and a movable retainer core 72 such that when the separated stringer tapes 2%) and 22 are properly posi.ioned within lower mold 5t), and upper mold 52 is moved into operative relation relative to lower mold 50, cores 70 and 72 can be moved laterally into slidable engagement with each other. It should also be noted that those portions of the cavities forming the reenforced tape ends located in both the upper and lower molds, support the end portions of tapes 20 and 22 in a manner such that identical ribs are formed on opposite sides of the tape and that portion of the tape intermediate the rib members will be impregnated with thermoplastic material.

Tape slot core 70, as shown in FIG. 9, is an elongated rectangular member which has at its outermost tip a centrally disposed relatively thin rectangular projection 74 located thereon. A shoulder 76 is located on each side of projection 74, each shoulder 76 of which is beveled at one end and extends towards the base portion of core 70.

Retainer core 72, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, is an elongated rectangular member which is adapted to cooperate with tape slot core 70, and includes an upwardly extending substantially T-shaped projection member 78 extending along one side thereof with the underside of each side of the cross arm of the T-shaped member undercut as at 80. The undercut portions 80 of retainer core 7 will form track guide 38 in track extension 36 of retainer 34. Each of the upper corners of the base portion 82 of core 72 are cut out to form substantially cubically shaped recesses 84.

As shown in FIGS. 8, 13 and 14, tape slot core 70 and retainer core 72 are laterally moved within the mold towards each other to their operative condition wherein a portion of the innermost side wall 79 of projection 78 on tape slot core 70 slidably engages the side wall of rectangular projection 74 of retainer core 72. Thermoplastic material is then injected through sprue hole 57 in upper mold 52 into the cavity formed between lower mold 50 and upper mold 52, flows through runners 55 and 56, to the cavity 54 for forming pin member 40 and its reenforced tape end 42, and to the cavity 53 for forming retainer 34 and its reenforced tape end 44. Once the molding operation has been performed and the thermoplastic material has been permitted to set, then the upper mold 52 can be displaced relative to lower mold 50. Tags slot core 70 and retainer core 72 are laterally displaced within the lower mold 50 and moved to their inoperative posi tion so as to separate them, after which stringer tapes 20 and 22 with their respective formed pin member 40 and retainer member 34 located thereon, can be removed from the lower mold 5G and moved to the next station wherein scrap portion 48 can be severed therefrom. The tape as it is removed from the mold is substantially as is shown in FIG. 5d.

The particular structure of the separating end connec tion of the present invention will now be described in detail with particular reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 and 6 and 7 of the drawings. For purposes of illustration only, the interengaging elements shown herein are of the coiled filament type, although the structure described hereinafter is equally applicable to a metal type of slide fastener chain. A conventional slider 32 having a pair of spaced wings defining a Y-shaped channel located therein is mounted for longitudinal movement along the beaded edges 26 and 28 of tapes 20 and 22, and will engage and disengage fastener elements 30 in a well known manner. Adjacent the end-most fastener element of a group of fastener elements 30, on at least one of the beaded edges of stringer tapes 20 and 22, there is attached a top stop 33 for limiting the movement of the slider 32 in the closing direction.

The improved separating end connection of the present invention includes reenforcing end members 42 and 44 formed on each side of and at the end of tapes 20 and 22 opposite to that end of the fastener which carries top stop 33. Reenforcing end members 42 and 44 are preferably molded from a thermoplastic material to form a relatively thin sheet of plastic material on each face of each of the respective tapes 20 and 22. Each of the reenforcing end members '42 and 44 have a substantially rectangular configuration and are bounded by a raised continuous rib member 86 and 87, respectively, extending therearound, with a plurality of raised rib members 88 and 89, respectively, located within the area outlined by ribmembers 86 and 87, respectively. Rib members 88 and 89 are diagonally disposed in an opposite sense to each other within their respective rectangular configurations. A plurality of horizontal rib members 90 and 91 overlie openings 31 in tapes 20 and 22. Rib members 90 and 91 have a height less than the height of rib members 86 and 87 and are located intermediate each of the respective end members 42 and 47 and their respective beaded edges 26 and 28 on each face of the tapes 20 and 22.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 and 6, hollow retainer member 34 and track extension 36 is formed integrally with the reenforced tape end 42 and symmetrically relative to the plane of tape 20. Retainer 34 has a parabolic configuration in cross section such that its greatest width lies in a plane (aa) which is located transverse to the plane of tape 20 and intermediate the innermost edge of beaded stitched edge 26 and the outer edge 27 of tape 20. Therefore, any force directed substantially transverse to the plane of the tape, such as the force exerted by an iron or pressing machine, will be exerted upon retainer 34 substantially along the plane aa, at its greatest width, thus preventing opening in retainer" 34 from being subjected to excessive forces which can collapse it. Track extension 36 is substantially rectangular in cross section and encases the stitched edge 26 of tape 20. The bottommost interengaging element 30', Which is enlarged at the free end 92, is embedded in the upper portion of retainer member 34. A track guide 38 having a Width less than the width of track extension 36, projects outwardly thereof and is positioned substantially in alignment with fastener elements 30 extending along the beaded edge 26 of tape 20. A groove 93 extends the length of track guide 38 and includes a pair of beveled lips 94 projecting inwardly towards each other from the opposed side walls of groove 93 so as to overlie the side portions of groove 93. Hollow retainer 34 formed on the remote end of tape 20 includes opening 95 extending therethrough, and groove 93 of track extension 36 is extended to lie in one wall thereof. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the outermost wall 96 of opening 95 of retainer 34 includes a rectangular slot 97 formed therein. Recess 84 of core 72 forms in the molding process, a detent member 98 located adjacent slot 97 at the juncture of each side wall of opening 95 and wall 96 at the upper end of opening 95. Members 98 each project inwardly towards the center of opening 95 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 and 7, the pin a member 40 of the separating end connected slide fastener is formed integrally with reenforced end 44 on the lower end of tape 22 substantially symmetrical to the plane thereof. Pin member 40 includes a base portion 108 which is substantially rectangular in cross section formed about beaded edge 28. A guide member 102 is formed integrally with base portion 110 and extends along one wall thereof substantially in alignment with the fastener elements 30 located along the beaded edge 28 of tape 22. The lower end 104 of guide member 102 is tapered inwardly and rounded at its bottommost portion. The upper end of guide member 192 is enlarged to form an inverted L- shaped rib member 185, one leg 106 of which extends substantially parallel to the beaded edge 28 and the other leg 107 of which extends inwardly thereof to base port-ion 180. A projection 108 is located on rib member 105 and extends substantially upwardly thereof in alignment with the interengaging heads of elements 38. A pair of catch members 109 (only one of which is shown) are located on opposite sides of and at substantially the bottommos-t tip of pin 40 and are formed therein hy recessing a portion of the opposite walls of pin 40, as at 119.

The operation of the improved separating end slide fastener of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to FIGS. 1 through 6. Slider 32 1s first moved to its bottomrnost position such that the wing members thereof slidably engage and move over the opposite surfaces of track extension 36 until the end portion of the slider abuts against retainer 34. Once in this position, the channel portion of slider 32 is in alignment with opening 95 in retainer 34 and pin member 40 can then be inserted into the open end of the channel of the slider such that leg 106 of rib member 105 threadedly engages the beveled lips 94 of groove 93 in track guide 38 and the lowermost portion of base is moved part way into retainer 34. When pin member 40 is inserted into the channel of slider 32 and partly into retainer 34, the raised rib member threadedly cooperates with lips 94 of groove 93 of track guide 38 to place the opposed interengaging fastener elements 30 in alignment with each other so that the tapes 20' and 22 lie in a substantially common plane. Pin member 40 is inserted into slider 32 at an angle such that there is no interference between the opposed inter-engaging elements 30 and because tape 22 is a flexible material, it can be de formed both laterally and longitudinally to be readily acceptable within the channel of slider 22 and retainer 34. The leading edge of rib member 195 of tape 22 will engage the bottom wall of slot 97. The movement of pin member through the channel of slider 32 will be in a curved path such that catch members 199 will be moved into cooperative interlocking engagement with detents 93 located in opening 95 of retainer 34. Because pin member 49 and retainer 34 are formed of a thermoplastic material the various parts thereof are resiliently deformable and thus pin member 40 and retainer 34 can be purposely designed with a tight interlocking fit such that a slight force may be required to snap the two members together in the locked position.

The slider 32 then can be moved along the stringers to couple the same, the result of which is partly illustrated in FIG. 1. In moving slider 32 downwardly, the opposed inner engaging elements 39 will be progressively uncoupled until the slider engages the top wall of retainer 34. The pin member 40 can then be easily disengaged from the retainer by exerting a slight upward force on tape 22 such that the rib member 1G9 will slip over detent member 98 of retainer 34 and the pin member 40 can easily be slipped out of its threaded engagement in track guide 38 and the channel of slider 32.

As previously stated hereinabove the step of clicking out openings 31 in tapes 20 and 22 is a preferred step but not a necessary step in the manufacture of the separating end slide fastener. If openings 31 are not formed in tapes 2% and 22, then the tapes are only impregnated with thermoplastic material and ribs 9%) and 91 are not formed on the tapes. In this way, the impregnated portions of tapes 20 and 22 have a thickness which can easily be incorporated within the confines of slider 32.

In addition, it is not necessary to perform the step of gapping a short length of slide fastener chain where the slide fastener chain is of the plastic monofilament type. In this instance the retainer 34 and pin member 40 can be molded over the thermally compatible chain with only the heads of the interengaging elements projecting therefrom, which heads can be trimmed therefrom simultaneously with the step of severing the scrap portion from between retainer member 34 and pin member 40.

It shall be understood that the term stitching as used herein shall mean a substantially woven or sewn structure, or a narrow flat ribbon or tape, or any type of cord or any suitable element for forming a band means along the marginal edge of the tape.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to an embodiment thereof. but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected Within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a separating end connected slide fastener which includes:

a pair of slide fastener tape stringers each carrying a plurality of interlocking elements along their opposed inner edges which are adapted to be engaged and disengaged in response to the movement of a slider member towards the closed and opened positions, respectively, the improvement comprising:

a combined reenforeed tape end and hollow retainer member symmetrically carried relative to the plane of the first of said pair of stringer tapes with said retainer member supported at one wall thereof on the remote end of the inner edge of one of said pair of tape stringers and including:

(a) a track extension encasing said inner edge of said one tape and extending between said interlocking elements and said retainer with said track extension having a width narrower than the width of said retainer the outer surfaces of said track extension adapted to slidably engage the inner surfaces of said slider,

(b) a track guide member located on said track extension and centrally disposed relative thereto, the outermost surface of said track guide being in the same plane as the surface of said one wall of said hollow retainer,

(0) an elongated groove extending the length of said track guide and said wall of said hollow retainer with said groove including a pair of shoulder members located adjacent to the marginal edges of said groove, said shoulder members projecting inwardly with the innermost spaced apart surfaces thereof spaced from each other a distance less than the maximum Width of said groove,

(d) detent means located within the uppermost portion of said hollow retainer and projecting inwardly towards the center thereof from that wall of said hollow retainer located opposite to said one wall,

a combined pin member and reenforced tape end symmetrically carried relative to the plane of said second stringer tape and on the remote end thereof and including:

(a) guide means located on said pin member and in alignment with said interlocking elements on said second tape for cooperating with said groove extending the length of said track guide member on said first tape,

(b) catch means on said pin member cooperable with said detent means of said retainer member, whereby when said pin member is operatively coupled to said retainer member and said slider, said track guide member and said guide means coact to align and retain said retainer and pin in operative relationship to place said opposed interlocking elements in alignment with each other and said detent means and said catch means coact to maintain said retainer and pin in said operative relationship.

2. A separating end connected slide fastener according to claim 1 wherein said shoulder members of said groove cooperate with said guide means located on said pin member,

said guide means including outwardly projecting members on each side thereof, the distance separating the outer surfaces of said opposed outwardly projecting members being less than the distance separating the inner walls of said groove whereby said guide means is accommodated within the confines of said groove and mates therewith.

3. A separating end connected slide fastener according to claim 2 wherein the surfaces of said shoulder members which cooperate with said guide means are undercut.

4. A separating end connected slide fastener according to claim 3 wherein said outwardly projecting members of said guide means on said pin member includes a pair of rib members each of which project outwardly from opposite sides of said guide means to cooperate with said undercut shoulder members of said groove of said track means.

5. In a separating end connected slide fastener according to claim 4 wherein a side wall of each of said rib members on said guide means threadedly cooperates with the corresponding undercut side wall of said shoulder member of said groove whereby said groove and said guide means coact to align said retainer and pin member in operative relationship.

6. In a separating end connected slide fastener according to claim 1 wherein said detent means comprises a pair of members spaced from each other, each of said members being located at the junction of a side wall of said hollow retainer and said Wall located opposite to said one wall thereof,

9 10 each of said members being located adjacent the upper References Cited end of said hollow retainer and at opposite sides UNITED STATES PATENTS thereof.

7. In a separating end connected slide fastener accord- 3222: ing to claim 6 wherein said catch means on said pin mem- 5 2146691 2/1939 gi her are located on opposite sides thereof for cooperation 2273773 2/1942 poux with said spaced members in said hollow retainer, 2302339 11/1942 Mod;l 11

said catch means on each opposite side of said pin memu ber located adjacent the remote end of said pin mem- FOREIGN PATENTS ber, cooperating with said detent means at the upper 10 1,358,511 3/1964 France. end of said hollow retainer whereby said pin mem- 282,353 8/1952 Switzerland.

her need only be inserted a short distance into said hollow retainer to coact therewith. BERNARD GELAK Exammer' 

1. IN A SEPARATING END CONNECTED SLIDE FASTENER WHICH INCLUDES: A PAIR OF SLIDE FASTENER TAPE STRINGERS EACH CARRYING A PLURALITY OF INTERLOCKING ELEMENTS ALONG THEIR OPPOSED INNER EDGES WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED AND DISENGAGED IN RESPONSE TO THE MOVEMENT OF A SLIDER MEMBER TOWARDS THE CLOSED AND OPENED POSITIONS, RESPECTIVELY, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A COMBINED REENFORCED TAPE END AND HOLLOW RETAINER MEMBER SYMMETRICALLY CARRIED RELATIVE TO THE PLANE OF THE FIRST OF SAID PAIR OF STRINGER TAPES WITH SAID RETAINER MEMBER SUPPORTED AT ONE WALL THEREOF ON THE REMOTE END OF THE INNER EDGE OF ONE OF SAID PAIR OF TAPE STRINGERS AND INCLUDING: (A) A TRACK EXTENSION ENCASING SAID INNER EDGE OF SAID ONE TAPE AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID INTERLOCKING ELEMENTS AND SAID RETAINER WITH SAID TRACK EXTENSION HAVING A WIDTH NARROWER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID RETAINER THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID TRACK EXTENSION ADAPTED TO SLIDABLY ENGAGE THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID SLIDER, (B) A TRACK GUIDE MEMBER LOCATED ON SAID TRACK EXTENSION AND CENTRALLY DISPOSED RELATIVE THERETO, THE OUTERMOST SURFACE OF SAID TRACK GUIDE BEING IN THE SAME PLANE AS THE SURFACE OF SAID ONE WALL OF SAID HOLLOW RETAINER, (C) AN ELONGATED GROOVE EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF SAID TRACK GUIDE AND SAID WALL OF SAID HOLLOW RETAINER WITH SAID GROOVE INCLUDING A PAIR OF SHOULDER MEMBERS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID GROOVE, SAID SHOULDER MEMBERS PROJECTING INWARDLY WITH THE INNERMOST SPACED APART SURFACES THEREOF SPACED FROM EACH OTHER A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OF SAID GROOVE, (D) DETENT MEANS LOCATED WITHIN THE UPPERMOST PORTION OF SAID HOLLOW RETAINER AND PROJECTING INWARDLY TOWARDS THE CENTER THEREOF FROM THAT WALL OF SAID HOLLOW RETAINER LOCATED OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE WALL, A COMBINATED PIN MEMBER AND REENFORCED TAPE END SYMMETRICALLY CARRIED RELATIVE TO THE PLANE OF SAID SECOND STRINGER TAPE AND ON THE REMOTE END THEREOF AND INCLUDING: (A) GUIDE MEANS LOCATED ON SAID PIN MEMBER AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID INTERLOCKING ELEMENTS ON SAID SECOND TAPE FOR COOPERATING WITH SAID GROOVE EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF SAID TRACK GUIDE MEMBER ON SAID FIRST TAPE, (B) CATCH MEANS ON SAID PIN MEMBER COOPERABLE WITH SAID DETENT MEANS OF SAID RETAINER MEMBER, WHEREBY WHEN SAID PIN MEMBER IS OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO SAID RETAINER MEMBER AND SAID SLIDER, SAID TRACK GUIDE MEMBER AND SAID GUIDE MEANS COACT TO ALIGN AND RETAIN SAID RETAINER AND PIN IN OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP TO PLACE SAID OPPOSED INTERLOCKING ELEMENTS IN ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER AND SAID DETENT MEANS AND SAID CATCH MEANS COACT TO MAINTAIN SAID RETAINER AND PIN IN SAID OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP. 